The Lion King III: Sasha's Pride
by AlayaPhantom
Summary: I'm not that good at summary's, but: This story follows a few adventures of Kovu and Kiara's daughter Sasha, and her friends. Rated T just to be safe, there is some fighting as the story progresses...
1. Chapter 1

The Lion King: Sasha's Pride

Chapter One: The New Princess

The sun was already high in the sky, clouds spotted the sky, but never covered the sun. Suddenly, a warm spring breeze picked up on the savannah, and every animal made there way toward Pride Rock. A horn bill circled overhead before landing in front of the king, and bowed. The king smiled and walked towards the caves where his queen and his two newborn cubs were. I was one of those cubs.

"They will make excellent rulers sire." the horn bill assured my father. "I know Zazu, but which one will rule?" he asked himself. By now there was a crowd of animals below Pride Rock and an old baboon walked up to the king. My mother licked me and my brother to wake us up. I watched everything around me as the baboon picked us up and carried us to the edge of our home. I stared at the animals below me as they bowed to me and my brother. I didn't understand why they did so, but I thought it must be something important.

After a few moments the baboon took us back to our parents. "Thanks Rafiki." I heard my mother say. The baboon, who's name was apparently Rafiki, laughed. "It is no problem at all." he said before walking away, using a stick to help him along.

Me and my brother, whose name is Nathan, grew up at Pride Rock. we tumbled around and played with other cubs there during the day, and at night we slept between our parents. Safe from any unimaginable harm. One morning I woke up with the sun. I padded outside to see the sun just barely starting to rise over the horizon. I sat there for a few moments til my brother joined me. "What are you doing Sasha?" he asked me. "What does it look like I'm doing, Nathan? I'm watching the sun rise until dad gets up." I chuckled, moving over so he could sit beside me. After awhile, our grandmother came to join us. Our grandmother used to be queen, her name is Nala. She ruled the Pridelands with our grandfather, Simba. My mother was their daughter, her name is Kiara, and our father is Kovu.

"Hello Sasha, hello Nathan." Nala said as she padded up behind us. "Hello grandmother." Me and Nathan said together. After that I heard the familiar heavy footsteps of my father. "Daddy!" I called running up to him. My father chuckled and Nathan ran up beside me. "You two are up early." he said, working his way around us and down the stones that made steps down to the ground from Pride Rock. "Can we come with you?" I begged. Every morning my father went around the borders of the Pridelands to make sure there wasn't any trouble. "Maybe when you're a little older, but not now." he said before walking away.

Me and Nathan stood there for awhile until something pushed me to the ground. "Got ya!" Rosa giggled. Rosa was one of the younger cubs in the pride, she always preferred hanging out with us then with her older sister. I sat up, which in turn made her slide off my back. "You're learning the element of surprise." I observed. At that moment I heard my mother calling for me and Nathan. "Come on." I told Rosa as we made our way up the steps. "We're right here mom." I called as we were about half way up the steps. As we climbed up I saw my mother sitting next to her uncle, Mheetu. My mother had some of the lionesses gathered for a hunting group. "Nathan, Mheetu's going to show you around the kingdom." my mother said and at my look of disappointment she smiled at me. "Sasha, you are coming with me and the other lionesses hunting." I brightened up at that. Not only would I see most of the hunting grounds, but I might catch something if I get lucky.

I padded back down to the ground beside Nathan and went off with the lionesses as he went with Mheetu. "Now one thing you must remember is that you need to be quiet when stalking prey. At the slightest sound, they could run." I nodded as my mother told me what I needed to do.

At first I stayed at the back of the group of lionesses and hid in the tall grass as I watched the lionesses take on different prey, once the hoof beats of some antelope stirred a field mouse from its scavenging and as it scurried past I caught it. The fourth time they stalked some zebra, and my mother had me up front with her, I was supposed to try and help bring one of them down. I crept forward with my mother, and one her signal I lept at a zebra, and with a lot of help from her, brought it down.

"Wow! That was neat!" I exclaimed on our way back to Pride Rock. "Your first hunt with the lionesses is always neat." My mother chuckled, thinking back to her first hunt as a cub with her mother. When we got to the water hole, we saw Nathan and Mheetu. Nathan padded up to me with happiness shining in his eyes. "The Pridelands are neat!" he exclaimed. "Hunting's neat too. I caught a field mouse and with moms help I brought down a zebra!" Nathan chuckled. "Well while you're hunting field mice and zebra's, I'll be checking the borders of the Pridelands." he boasted then padded away a few steps. "Come with me, there's a really cool place I want you to see." He called bounding away, the wind splitting his mane.

Nathan and me were only cubs, but Nathan grew a little fast. He already started growing his mane, there's a tuft of fur on his chest, and his mane had already grown down his back. But it wasn't around his shoulders yet.

I ran to catch up with him and we bounded along. Past Pride Rock, I noticed. Soon the long grass cut off to short grass, and we were by a tree. "This is the southern border." Nathan explained. I looked around. There didn't seem to be any other lions on the other side of the border. "Come on, lets go back to Pride Rock, see if Nakatou and Kinku will play with us." I told him. Nathan seemed a little distant as he replied. "You go ahead, I'll catch up later." He told me. I nodded and padded away. After I had gone a little ways away, I tracked back over to where Nathan was, but I was closer to the tree, and I was well hidden.

For a long while, nothing happened, and just as I thought about really going back, I see something approaching. Not something, someone, It was a lioness, possibly a little older then me and Nathan, with her were two younger cubs, _her little brothers_, I thought. I could hear her telling her brother's to stay out of trouble, and out of the tall grass, when she looked right at me.

Lucky for me, my brown pelt blended into the bark of the tree, so she didn't see anything unusual, then she saw Nathan. The two of them stared at each other, mouths gaping, then Nathan smiled at her, and she smiled at Nathan. "Who are you?" the lioness asked. _Don't do it!_ I pleaded to myself. "I'm Nathan, The prince of the Pridelands." he told her, motioning behind him to the savannah. "I'm Kyra, I'm the princess over there on the grasslands." She told him. "I'm third in line for the throne, behind my older sisters." She added. Nathan smiled even wider. "I'm second in line after my sister." he told her.

At this point I couldn't take it anymore. I lept at him and bowled him over. "What are you doing?" I hissed. He looked at me like I was insane. "Get off." he breathed, and I realized that my paw was on his throat. I got off of him and let him stand up. "You are going to be in big trouble if dad finds out." I growled before glaring at Kyra and walking away. "Come on Nathan!" I called behind me, refusing to go any farther without my brother at my side. After a few moments I turned around. "Nathan!" I called, but he ignored me. I padded up to pull him away when I saw what he was looking at.

In the grass was a tiny sleeping cub. So small, so helpless. It had a brown pelt like mine, so I knew it couldn't be from the same pride as the gray lioness and her brothers, who had already left. "What is she doing here?" I asked Nathan, who merely shook his head. I had pity for the helpless cub and grabbed hold of her scruff in my jaws. I nodded to Nathan and we padded back to Pride Rock, the cub still asleep in my jaws.

When we got back to Pride Rock it was almost night. I set the cub down gently on one of the warm stones and called for my parents. "Mother! Father!" I called. Nathan padded up the rocks to see if

they where in the caves. My father padded up behind me. "What is it Sasha?" he asked. I turned around and moved aside so my father could see the tiny cub. "We found her by the southern border, abandoned." I explained. My father examined her carefully. "She's from the Outlands." he murmured. "Possibly one of the banished lions had her, and didn't want her." he told me. He took the small cub in his jaws and padded up Pride Rock and into the caves with me trailing close behind.

My mother was in the caves, Nathan telling her everything about the cub. My father laid the cub down beside her, and the small cub woke up. My parents talked about what to do with her for a little while before making a decision. My mother called us over with a smile.

"This child can't take care of herself. So it looks like you have a little sister." she said with a smile. I smiled and watched the little cub explore the caves on wobbly legs. "What are we going to call her?" I asked. My father chuckled. "We'll called her Nikki." he said. Nikki looked over as if she knew that that was her name already.

As days went by, Nikki grew bigger, and stronger. Before long she was a frisky cub, always bothering us older cubs. One morning I woke up to Nikki shaking me and the rising sun in my eyes. I yawned and stretched out. "Sasha? Sasha!" Nikki kept calling my name. "What is it Nikki?" I asked sleepily. "Nathan's gone." she said with a worried tone. This woke me up right away. I stood up and padded outside the den, watching out for the sleeping lions around me, Nikki close behind.

I looked around, just outside the caves, but he wasn't there. I went to the peak of Pride Rock, he wasn't anywhere I could see, he wasn't by the water hole or out on the paths my father had marked for us when we were cubs.

"I think I know just where he is. You go tell mother and father that he's missing, they'll check around the Pridelands, I'm going to check the southern border, make sure they know where I am." I told her as I padded down to the ground. Nikki nodded and ran back inside the caves and I ran to the border.

I stopped as soon as I saw Nathan at the edge of the border, talking to Kyra. I growled softly and stalked around in the grass so I could see better. When I got close enough so I could here there conversation, I was already too late to here what they were talking about. All I heard was Nathan saying, "I'll go tell my parents." I stood up, so they could see me. "No need to do that." I growled. "They're on their way hopefully. Worried sick looking for you." Nathan looked shocked. Kyra looked at Nathan. "What's going on here?" she asked. "Nikki woke me up to tell me Nathan was gone. When I couldn't find him anywhere on the Pridelands I knew he had to be here. Nikki went and woke our parents up, and they're looking for him." I explained, flicking my tail at Nathan.

Kyra seemed to brighten up at the sound of the name Nikki. "That's just what we were talking about. I think I know who Nikki's parents are, another pride close by here. By the description I've been given of her, she sounds like she's one of them." she explained happily. I growled at her, which made her go from happy, to scared. "We don't need to know, she's happy where she is."

Nathan looked at me pleadingly. "Sasha, wouldn't Nikki like to know who her real parents are?" he persuaded. I turned on him, still growling. "Nathan, listen to me very carefully because I'm only going to say this once," I hissed. "As far as Nikki knows, she's with her real parents. It would crush Nikki if she found out she was adopted, and that her real parents didn't want her." Both Nathan and Kyra seemed to realize this flaw in there plan for the first time.

"I think she'd still like to know." Kyra murmured. I finally lost it with her, I roared in anger at her comment, and quick as a flash there was a lion in front of her, roaring at me. Her father by the looks of it. Now, normally, I would have backed down and gone to my father, but I was seething with anger, so like an idiot I growled at the lion and stood my ground. Nathan snatched me back from the border. "What are you doing you idiot!" he hissed in my ear. By this time I was ready to cry.

"Traitor!" I yelled and ran. I ran as far as I could, until eventually I was in a place I had never been before. I flopped over on my side and cried for the longest time. Eventually I heard paw steps behind me. "Go away Nathan." I growled. Then came something I didn't expect.

"Who's Nathan?" A voice asked. It was defiantly a lion talking to me, that much I could tell.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Is This What Love Feel's Like?

I scrambled to my paws and turned around to find out who the speaker of the voice is, I soon spotted the lion who had spoken and gasped. This lion, was pure black, save his mane which was gray, and gray star over his eye, and there was also his chest, muzzle and toes, which where a lighter shade of gray then his mane and star.

My heart was pounding so loud I was afraid her could hear it. _Oh my goodness this lion is hot! _I thought. _No! You're a princess, he's an outsider._ I reminded myself. The stranger smiled at me. "Are you okay?" he asked, he seemed genuinely concerned. I nodded, still dumb-founded. "I don't mean to pry, but why are you here, I saw you running and crying." He asked. "It was nothing, my brother... It was nothing." I decided I shouldn't tell him more then I need to until I knew who he was.

"It seems like something's really bothering you, but I won't press the matter." He said, resting his tail on my shoulder. I looked into his eyes and before I could think about what I was doing, I buried my muzzle into his fur and cried into his shoulder. "My brother betrayed me." I cried, very upset. "Hey, it's okay," he told me in a soothing tone. "You can tell me what you want to tell me, I'll listen." even though I just met him, I told him everything, where I'm from, who I am, and why I was so upset, and I felt better.

The mysterious lion wrapped his paw around my shoulders and I felt safe, secure. _Is this what love feels like?_ I asked myself. "My name is Star, for obvious reasons." he said with a smile. I looked up at him, his partly grown mane whipping around in the wind that had picked up. I shivered from the cold and I looked slightly concerned. "Come on, there's a cave nearby, it'll get us out of the wind." he told me. I nodded and followed him to the cave he was talking about. Once we were inside he sat next to me and wrapped his paw around my shoulders again. "I'm Sasha." I said looking around the looming darkness of the cave. "I should be heading back home." I murmured. It might have just been the exhaustion getting to me, but I could have sworn his grip around my shoulders tightened.

"It's going to rain soon, hard. You can't leave until the rain dies down, our you could be swept away in a flood." He rushed out the words quickly. Mostly because I was tired, and partially because I didn't want to leave the presence of Star, I agreed to stay for the night.

As soon as I had agreed to stay, Star left the cave, saying he was going hunting, and I prayed to the Great Kings of the Past he was telling the truth. He was. He came back soon with some prey for the two of us. He laid down beside me and we ate together, telling each other stories about when we were younger. Soon I began to feel sleepy, my belly was full and there was rain, pouring outside, lulling me to sleep. I curled up to sleep, and before I slipped into a fitful sleep, I felt Star curl up around me, making me feel like nothing in the world could hurt me.

Star was already up by the time I was. "Morning sleepy." he chuckled. I smiled and yawned, stretching my legs. I knew I had to go home, but I didn't want to. "I guess I should head back." I sighed, looking out the entrance of the cave. "I'll escort you to the border." Star said quickly. "The water is still high, you'll need a guide to get you through them." he explained. I nodded happily at the thought of spending more time with Star.

After a quick breakfast, we headed out of the cave and started our way through Star's home. For the first time I got a good look at the place. It was barren in some patches, but lush and green in others. "Kinda odd isn't it?" Star chuckled, shaking me from my thoughts. "Maybe a little." I admitted. Star shrugged. "It's home." he sighed.

Soon the barren yet green land gave way to tall grass. "This is it," I sighed, then turned to him.

"Will I ever see you again?" I asked him pleadingly. He thought for a moment then nodded. "Meet me here every night." He said, his eyes asking for my approval. I gazed into his eyes and nodded. "Every night, I promise." I said. Star smiled and touched his nose to mine before turning and leaving. "I'll see you tomorrow night." he called over his shoulder.

All I could do was nod as I stood there, as happy as could be. That is, until I heard Nathan calling my name and running up behind me.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: She Left!

So here's what happened after I had left through the eyes of Nathan: "Traitor!" Sasha yelled at me, and ran. I watched her run off, too stunned to even move. Then I heard growling behind me, and turned around to see a pale gray lion with a red mane. "Dad..." Kyra began, but the lion glared at her and she cowered. "Bye." she said to me quickly before bolting off.

The lion turned back to me and I backed up slowly. He growled and before I knew it, my parents were in front of me, roaring at the lion. "If you ever go near my son..." my mother growled. The lion scoffed. "I'm not here to attack your son, a lioness about his age was picking on my daughter." he explained coolly. I saw my father dig his claws into the ground. "Dad, it was Sasha." I said.

My father cuffed me over the ears. "What where you and Sasha _doing _out here? And where is she?" he growled. I stood there stunned for a few moments. "She left!" I exclaimed, looking in the direction she had run. The lion growled slightly. "If I catch him or your daughter near any of my children again, I will show no mercy." he promised before turning to walk away. "What's your name?" My father asked him. He looked over his shoulder. "King Rambo." he said before walking away.

"Rally the lionesses, get a searching party going." My father said to my mother, before padding along the border to find Sasha. "Mom?" I said, asking what I should do. "You'll help the lionesses find Sasha." I nodded and waited for my mother to come back with the lionesses. When she did, I lead them the way I remembered Sasha running.

Some of the lionesses split into smaller groups to help the search go quicker. After we were all split up, I was left with my mother and my aunt Vitani. "Sasha!" We called. After awhile a strong wind started to pick up. "We can't search in a storm, We'll have to wait till tomorrow." My mother told us as she turned back. _It's all my fault. _I said, hanging my head as we walked back. My mother and my aunt roared to gather the other lionesses and started to run as the raid started. I ran after them, and by the time everyone was at Pride Rock, it was pouring.

I sat between my mothers paws and let her dry my fur, something I never let her do. My father was the last one in the caves, he stood in the entrance of the caves and shook his fur out as best he could before coming back to where we were and finished drying his fur.

I stared at my paws, thinking about Sasha. Aunt Vitani, who was my fathers sister, laid beside me. "We'll find her." she promised me. I nodded and rested my head on my paws, and with the sound of the rain, I soon fell asleep.

I woke up to my aunt nudging me. "Come on, we have to keep searching." she whispered in my ear. I stood up and padded outside the caves and down to the ground wearily. The lionesses were already gathered, and ready to follow me. We went back to the place we were yesterday, and started searching again. There was a slight breeze blowing the scent from where Sasha had gone towards us.

I padded up further up around the border, searching for my sister, hoping she was alright. Suddenly, the wind picked up a little and I got the scent of Sasha. "Mom, Dad! I got her!" I called over my shoulder, running towards the scent.

Soon, I saw Sasha, looking over the border, flicking her tail happily. "Sasha!" I called out to her.

I saw her freeze, like I was the last person she expected to hear. I ran up to her and licked her cheek with brotherly love, our parent coming up close behind. "Where have you been? Are you hurt?" My mother asked her, licking her all over. Sasha looked like she had just been out around the Pridelands and they were making a big deal over nothing. "I'm fine, Nothing's wrong." she said.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Secret Meetings

Now that you've see what happened to both of us at that time, lets get on with my story. I padded back to Pride Rock with my mother, telling her what had happened, or, what she wanted to here. I didn't tell her about Star. How could I? She'd make a big deal out of it, I knew she would.

That night, after everyone was asleep, I padded quietly out of the den, but with my luck, Nikki woke up to see me leave and headed after me. Once I was on the ground I heard Nikki call down to me quietly. "Sasha? What are you doing?" she asked. I turned around to face her, she was still up on the ledge, sitting with her tail curled around her paws. "I can't sleep, I'm going hunting, don't wake mom and dad to tell them I've gone. Promise?" I told her. Nikki nodded. "Promise." she yawned before going back inside and going to sleep.

As soon as I knew she was gone I started running toward the eastern border. I skidded to a halt once I got there and looked around for Star. "You came." I heard ahead of me. Then Star came into view. I padded closer to him and smiled. "I wouldn't brake a promise." I told him.

We sat and talked for hours, slept a little here and there so we wouldn't be too tired when we go back to our Prides, until the sun started to lighten the sky. "I'll see you tonight." I promised before bounding off, back to Pride Rock. When I got there, nobody was up. I slipped inside the caves and curled up beside my brother before anyone noticed, and soon fell asleep.

All too soon, Nikki and my little cousin Tavani, who was a little older then Nikki, were trying to wake me up by doing everything they could think of. I groaned and batted them away with my paw as they tugged on my ears. Then Tavani climbed on my back. "Come on Sasha! You promised you'd show me and Tavani the Pridelands today!" she pleaded. "Fine, I'm coming." I told her so she would get off me. "Yes!" they exclaimed happily, running outside the caves

I stretched out with a humongous yawn and padded sleepily outside the den. Surprisingly, the sun wasn't in my eyes when I walked out. I was high over head. I had slept for a long while. After I fulfilled my promise with Nikki and Tavani, I curled back up to sleep until the sun was setting. When I got up I snuck out of the caves by an opening in the back, and ran a little ways to the water hole I took a drink of water and laid on one of the stones that was still warm from the sun, making it look like I had been there for a while.

Soon, my mother came by with a few of the lionesses and some prey. "Hey mom." I called. She smiled at me. "Hey Sasha. Come eat soon." She called as she carried the prey back to Pride Rock. I jumped down from the stone and padded back to Pride Rock, where most everyone was already there, except my father and Nathan, who arrived soon after me.

When everyone had eaten, we went into the caves and slept, I of course, did not, instead I went to the border again, to find Star waiting for me. We sat and talked, and watched the stars again until sun rose, and we left to go back to our Prides. Every night was the same after that, until one night.

On one night, Nikki saw me sneaking out the back entrance of the caves and followed me. She followed me all the way to the border. By this time, Me and Star were young adults, Star's gray mane was fully grown, and easy to see, even in the dark.

Soon I saw Star approaching and ran up to him. I nuzzled him affectionately and, unknown to me, Nikki had gone back and gotten Nathan, and my parents. I talked to him for a while and I heard paw steps running up behind me. I turned to see what was going on and was soon surrounded by my family. I looked at Nikki with hurt showing in my bring green eyes. "Nikki, how could you?" I asked.

Nikki shrunk back behind our father who had his teeth bared at Star. "A better question, Sasha, is how could you? How long have you been meeting him at night?" he growled, his eyes never leaving Star, who I was crouched defensively in front of.

"I met him when I ran off." I said, glaring at Nathan, anger deep in my gaze. "I've been meeting him every night since then." I finished, my gaze returning to my father. Nikki padded closer to me. "You told me you went hunting." she said.

I looked at her, and a guilty expression crossed my face. "Yes, I did say that, Nikki." I confessed. "Nikki?" Star asked questioningly. "Silence." My father growled. "Father!" I growled back, turning slightly to Star. "Yes, my sister Nikki." I answered. "Funny, we lost a cub named Nikki not to long ago. A little before I met you actually." he said shrugging. "We lost her older sister, Tori, too."

"Tori?" Nikki asked hesitantly. "The name sounds familiar." I looked at Nathan with a worried expression. "We used to have a lioness in the pride named Tori." I said quickly. "She left to join another pride." I lied.

My father glared at me, ignoring the small bit of Nikki's former home. "Sasha, You are forbidden to go out without an escort from now on and will be kept under constant supervision. Let's go." he growled starting to turn on me. "If you make me go back, I'll only try more and more to escape! And when I succeed, and I will succeed, I'll run away, and never come back!" I growled, my voice breaking at the end and tears welling up in my eyes.

"Sasha, you have to go." Star said. I turned my back on my family to face him. "I won't leave you." I said firmly. My mother turned to my father and whispered something to him. My father looked at Star for a while, and for a few scary seconds, I thought he was going to attack.

"Do you have a pride?" he asked finally. Star shook his head. "I was banished. My brothers took a story and twisted it to make to seem like I was at fault." he said. My father sighed, and I could have sworn he muttered something along the lines of "I'm going to regret this." before speaking again. "If you would like to, I will allow you into my pride now, and reserve my judgment for later. But be warned, if you hurt anyone in my family, or in my pride, I will exile you." he growled.

Star nodded. "I understand." He said. My father started walking away, the rest of my family with him. "Sasha." he called over his shoulder. I nuzzled Star before following my family. Unbeknownst to me, another lion, pure black like star, the only hint of gray, or any other color for that matter, was a dark gray crown shape on his side, His mane was as black as night. "This is our chance my son, go." he growled. Star hesitated. "I won't betray Sasha, not now, not ever." he snarled, running off toward Pride Rock. "Then we'll take over by force." the other lion cackled, walking off into Star's home.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Foresight

I was trailing behind my family, not too far behind but not that close to them. My paw steps slowed gradually until they stopped. I felt dizzy, and darkness enclosed my vision, my legs fell out from under me, and the last thing I heard was Star yelling my name.

I woke up and everything was black, although I could see myself perfectly. I realized two things then. One, I wasn't awake, but merely in my mind. Two, I wasn't alone. I turned around quickly to see two other lions, and a lioness there, one with golden fur and a red mane, one with golden fur and a brownish mane, the lioness had brown fur, with a white diamond on her forehead.

"Why am I here, and who are you?" I asked, my voice shaking. The lioness stepped forward. "I am Uru. This is my father Mohatu and my son Mufasa." she said flicking her tail to the one with the brown mane then to the one with the red mane. "We need your help." Mohatu said stepping toward me.

I swallowed hard. I had heard the names before, I knew they were family. But why would the great kings and queen of the past need me?

As if reading my mind, Mufasa stepped forward. "The evil lions who have died are trying to take over the Pridelands by any means possible. Not only have they convinced a neighboring pride to attack, but they are going to try to pick off the pride with the other animals." he said. I though a bit. "Scar?" I asked hesitantly. Uru nodded. "Yes, my other son is leading the evil ones, but there are many more." I was almost too scared to speak the name that came next. "Zira?" I said, my voice breaking. "Yes, your grandmother too."

I looked at my paws for a moment before looking up at Mohatu. "Which pride is going to attack?" I asked. Mohatu hesitated for a moment, as if wondering if he should tell me. "Star's pride. His father is the king, and is going to take the Pridelands by force, whether his son is there or not." he said.

I looked at my paws again. "You must listen young one." Mufasa said, using his paw to tilt my head up so I looked him in the eyes. "When you wake up, it will be morning, the lionesses will be gathering for their morning hunt. Scar will make an elephant charge and crush the lead hunter. You must warn them." he said, looking into my eyes. "I will." I said determinedly. He dropped his paw, and everything went black again.

My eyes snapped open to see Nathan and Star beside me. "Finally, We thought you were gonna die!" Nathan said quickly. I jumped up and ran to the tip of Pride Rock, although every muscle in my body screamed for me to stop. "Mari look out!" I yelled. Mari lept out of the way as she saw an elephant charging. My legs gave way and I plopped down on the tip of Pride Rock, breathing heavily.

"You just saved Mari." Nathan said as he padded up to me, Star beside him. "Are you alright?" Star asked. "I'll be fine, I just need some rest." I said, laying my head on my paws. "Rest? You've been asleep for three days." Rose said. I looked over at the young adult padding up Pride Rock. "Three days?" I asked, making sure I heard right. "Yep." She confirmed.

"That must have been one good dream. What did you see anyway?" Nathan asked. "Some lions named Mohatu, Uru and Mufasa." I mumbled. "Mufasa?" I heard my grandfather ask. "And Uru and Mohatu." I confirmed. "They're my ancestors, aren't they?" I asked turning to my grandfather.

The old king nodded. "Yes, Mufasa is my father..." He started. "And Uru and Mohatu are your grandmother and great-grandfather." I finished. Again, my grandfather nodded. "What did they tell you?" Star asked. I stared up at him blankly. "I can't tell you." I said, my voice shaking.

I stood up and walked down off of Pride Rock. "Where are you going?" Rose asked as she followed. "Hunting of course." I answered, joining the hunting party.

"Mother!" I called. My mother turned and smiled at me. "Feeling up to hunting are you?" she asked teasingly. "I can do it." I chuckled. "Who was your best student when teaching me Nikki and Nathan?" I asked, although I already knew the answer. "You were. But you had been out with the hunting party before." She answered.

Mari took her place at the front of the hunting party and we set off. I was running along between my mother and Rose. I felt free and alive, like nothing could hurt me.

Hunting wasn't too bad. We were able to take down a good sized zebra and an antelope. My shoulder started hurting as we were carrying them back, and Rose took my place. "You go on ahead, maybe go to Rafiki to see your shoulder." she encouraged.

"Don't over work yourself." I said knowingly. She smiled shyly as she continued on and I back tracked to Rafiki's tree.

"Rafiki?" I called out. Soon enough an old baboon was beside me. "What is it Sasha? I'm a busy monkey you know." He said with a laugh. "My shoulder started hurting as I was carrying some kill back to Pride Rock. Rose told me to come here." I answered, having to stifle a laugh. Rafiki nodded. "I see, well then lets take a look." Rafiki laughed as he examined my shoulder. "You fell on it, when you had that dream didn't you?" He asked questioningly. I nodded slowly. "Yes, I fell on it." Rafiki nodded again. "Well then that's it. It's just sore. Give it some rest and it'll get better. Now shoo! I have work to do. Go on, get out of here!" Rafiki shooed as I started walking away. "Alright, alright, I'm going!" I laughed.

As I got back to Pride Rock, Rose smiled. "Speak o' the devil." She chuckled. "What about me?" I asked. Rose was sitting beside one of the younger males in the Pride named Kuzimu. "I was telling Kuzimu how you knew." Rose answered.

"Oh." I chuckled. "How did you find out anyway?" Kuzimu asked. "Well, Rose was having just the slightest trouble in hunting today. Plus it's obvious. She _is_ getting bigger." I answered simply. "And she's my best friend, I know when something special happens to her." I chuckled.

We sat and talked for a while longer before I ate some of the antelope and went to sleep. Despite being "asleep" for three days I was really tired.

When I closed my eyes, a horrible scene flashed before me.

I was in the caves, one of the usually empty dens. Rose was laying there, convulsing in pain. I could only sit and watch as my best friend went through all this pain. The minutes seemed like hours, and before long, two cubs laid by her side, and a third between her paws. I knew before she looked at me with saddened eyes that the young cub was dead, still born.

I hung my head and padded out of the caves to see Kuzimu pacing and Nathan trying to calm him friend down. "Kuzimu." I called, making the worried father turn to look at me. "You have two healthy daughters... and a still born son." I said, my voice breaking. Kuzimu hurried past me into the caves, which is when I woke up.

"Finally! You were asleep all day." My father chuckled behind me. I turned to look at him and he tilted his head at the sad look in my eyes. "Whats wrong?" he asked.

I buried my muzzle in his fur and cried, barely able to tell him what I saw.

"Roses cubs... one of them... still born." I cried between the bouts of coughs that always came when I cried too hard. "Hey, It's alright Sasha, I'm sure her cubs will be fine." He soothed. "It was just a bad dream." I shook my head. It was too real to be a dream.

Days turned to weeks, and every day I made sure to get away from my normal activities and think about the knowledge I wish I didn't possess. Soon enough, Rose was hurried into the birthing den. I slowly got to my paws and shuffled in, as she had asked for me specifically to be there.

I watched and waited, comforting her the best I could. Sure enough, there were two little females by her side and a still born male between her paws. I hung my head and walked out. "I'm sorry Kuzimu." I murmured before lifting my head to look at him. "You have two healthy daughters and a still born son." I sighed. Kuzimu looked down at his paws and hurried into the den.

"You knew." Nathan stated. I nodded sadly. "Yes I knew." I answered. I sat beside my brother for a few minutes before Star walked up. "Hello Sasha." He said happily. "How was it?" he asked. "Not too well. One cub was still born, but besides that she has two healthy daughters." I answered, nuzzling him.

He smiled sympathetically. "Two more lionesses to make the pride stronger. That's good." He said. "Star." My father called, walking out of the caves. "I want you to come with me on patrol today." He said with a smile. Star nodded hesitantly and followed my father down Pride Rock.

I smiled after them and looked at Nathan. My smile quickly became a frown and I backed up and he walked closer, his teeth bared, his eyes were full of anger.

"Why?" he snarled. I shook my head as I was cornered against the stone. "I don't know..." I started, but he cut me off. "Why is it that you can be with Star but I can't be with Kyra?" he growled. "Kyra is the princess of the Grasslands! She can't be trusted." I growled back. "Star's from the Marshlands." Nathan pointed out. "He's different! You don't know him!" I growled, my voice choking. "You don't know Kyra!" he countered, storming away.

I sat there dumb-founded for what seemed like several hours. Soon I heard a frantic flapping noise above me. "What do you want Zaku?" Zaku had just taken over as the Major Domo when I was a teenager. I missed Zazu, but Zaku was pretty fun to be around.

"Your Highness, your father has just been attacked by the enemies in the Marshlands!" He said frantically. "Rally the lionesses! Quickly!" I ordered, running down Pride Rock. "Nathan!" I yelled. He wasn't to far off and was soon running beside me. "Father's being attacked." I said quickly.

I ran as fast as I could, my heart pounding as I worried about what I would find. As Nathan and I got there we leaped in front of our father and Star, our teeth bared. I growled as I stood face to face with an older lion who must have been the king.

"What are you doing here, 'Your Highness'" I spat. The older lion began to speak but I cut him off. "Not you." I growled, whirling around to face Star. "You. What are you doing here Star, or should I say Prince Star." I growled menacingly, I was hurt, angered, I loved Star, but I couldn't help but feeling betrayed.

"You're the Prince?" Nathan and my father asked, looking at him questioningly. "One of them. He has a younger brother, and two younger sisters." The other King growled. Star looked at me for a moment before turning to his father. "Dad, I told you I want nothing to do with you, the Marshlands, or the throne." He said.

I glared at Star, my teeth bared. "You used me!" I growled. "That night, when I was a cub, you used me." Star looked shocked I would even suggest such a thing. "No! I wasn't using you, I swear!"

I stared at Star long and hard. Was he lying? I certainly couldn't tell. I slowly turned to look at my father, who was also looking at Star. "Listen to him." My father murmured.

Before I could speak again, my head started pounding and everything went black.

I snapped open my eyes to see Mufasa, Uru and Mohatu before me again. "I don't want this 'gift' anymore! It's tearing me apart. I had to go for weeks knowing my best friend's only son would be still-born., I don't trust Star anymore, everyone's getting suspicious." I said quickly. "I'm sorry young one, but you haven't got a choice." Uru said gently. "You have to try and stop this fight, or it will tear the Pridelands apart, and the lions from the Marshlands will take over." Mohatu said.

"And one more thing," Mufasa started. "Star's telling the truth." I heard distantly as my eyes snapped open back in the Pridelands. Surprisingly, I was still on my paws. I was scared, but I knew what I had to do. I padded forward slowly, my eyes on the other king. "A fight is pointless, it will tear both our prides apart." I said, not letting my fear show in my voice.

"Why wouldn't I fight for whats rightfully mine?" he scoffed. I was confused, but I didn't let It show. "Whats rightfully yours is the Marshlands, nothing more." I said calmly. "Have you not heard the tales? Or were your parents too afraid to tell you?" he asked, cackling. I turned to my mother, who had arrived shortly before with the lionesses. "What is he talking about?" I asked them. My mother seemed utterly confused. "I don't even know what he's talking about."

"Then your father must not have told you." The king growled. "Long ago, the first king of this land, my great-great-great grandfather, Lukarius was overthrown by a group of lions lead by a male by the name of Mohatu. The great king Lukarius swore revenge and ran to the Marshlands, and now his revenge is coming." he growled.

I blacked out again and rolled my eyes when I saw Mohatu. "I'm kinda busy doing what you told me to do." I said impatiently. "Don't listen to him, he tells you lies and slander. Lukarius came to the Pridelands from the Marshlands, _he_ tried to overthrow _me_." Mohatu said gravely before disappearing.

"This foresight thing is getting annoying." I muttered under my breath. "Oh _that_ tale, I remember it now, I remember that Lukarius was trying to overthrow Mohatu, not the other way around!" I growled. The king glared at me. "Attack!" he roared. The lionesses ran past him and the great battle ensued. A young male, barely a teenager and most likely Stars brother pinned me down. "Well little princess, you brought this on yourself." he growled. He ran his claws over my eye, leaving three scars and blood nearly blinding me, and as I cried out in pain, Star tackled his brother to the ground. "Get away from her Moto, you mangy excuse for a lion." he roared as he bit into his brother's shoulder.

Flame roared in outrage as he tried getting away from his brother. I cleared the blood from my eye and looked around frantically, my father was fighting the king, and everyone else was also fighting, except Nathan Nikki and Tavani, the latter two of them being teenagers by now, who were standing beside me, ready to defend me.

I blacked out for the third time that day and hung my head as Mufasa, Uru and Mohatu appeared before me. "I know, I didn't stop the fight, I'm sorry." I sighed, but Uru shook her head. "You delayed it long enough for your mother and the other lionesses to arrive, that put the battle very much in your favor." she said with a small smile.

Her smile soon faded as she noticed the scars over my eyes. "Where did you get those scars?" she asked, licking away some blood which was still oozing a bit out of the wounds. "Flame, Star's little brother." I said quietly.

"Uru stood there for a moment more before shaking her head. "Those scars give the evil ones an advantage." Mufasa said with a sigh. "How so" I asked? Tilting my head in confusion.

"Have you ever noticed the scar over your father's eye?" Mohatu asked, continuing when I nodded. "Scar also had a scar over his eye, given to him by his father Ahadi, who you will meet very soon, after Ahadi found out he was hanging out with the hyenas"

"And how does me having these scars give the evil ones an advantage?" I asked, still completely confused.

"Somehow, for some reason we can't understand, Scar, Zira and others from the group of evil lions are now able to come to you in your dreams. 'They will tempt you, mock you, and even use hallucinations to try and get you to join them. Picking out the pride is the best they can do right now, but they know it won't do any good unless you are on their side. The fate of all the prides rests on your shoulders.

Even though it is entirely up to you, the pride will not be able to do this on their own. You need to convince your father to make an alliance between the Pridelands and the Grasslands." Mufasa said.

As I listened and watch, I knew they all had faith in me. They all believed I could do it. "I'll try my best. And I promise you all, somehow or another, I will succeed." I said with a smile.

As I slipped back into consciousness I noticed I was back in the caves. I looked around, quickly seeing everyone was there, and that Rafiki was tending to the ones with major wounds at the moment.

I yawned, feeling quite tired and stood up padding over to where my father was. "Daddy?" I asked, sitting down beside him. My father smiled at me, happy to see I was okay. "Yes princess?" he asked.

I looked down at my paws for a moment before telling him what Mufasa had told me. "I think we need to make an alliance with the lions of the Grasslands." I said, waiting for his response.

"And why do you think that?" he asked calmly. I looked up at the ceiling and back at them, smiling as he did. "Alright." he said softly. Getting up and padding out of the dens with me.

We padded up to the very top of pride rock, which had an amazing view, and it was nearly impossible for someone to approach you if you were up there without you hearing them.


End file.
